Body of Trust - Jeannine Colette Page 0,55
then checking my father’s vitals.
“I’m sorry. You have to go. Mr. Sorrentino needs to rest,” she says, but my father waves her off.
“Two more minutes. I need to speak to my daughter for a moment more.”
The nurse purses her lips as she looks at us disapprovingly. “Two minutes.”
She leaves, and Dad grimaces, pushing away pain that must be coming from his wound. As I move closer to him, to help him, he shakes his head, not wanting me to tend to him.
“I’m okay. Please, relax. Now, you have to listen to me. We have a rat among us.”
At the term rat, there’s a deafening sound in my ears. I look away, hoping not to give away just how close I am to that mole. Then again, if he knew what Jesse had told me about my family, my father would be livid at me for believing it from a stranger, even if it is true.
Jesse is an informant, but he’s not the only one. The FBI is tainted, as was our family by Rocco. Disloyalty is everywhere. I’ve seen it firsthand when I was taken by a man I trusted.
“I know,” I say.
His eyes look up in concern.
“Rocco tried to force me in his car one night. I fought him off and got away, but I know if he’d succeeded, his intentions were malicious.”
My father hisses. “Where was this?”
“Club Elektra in Brooklyn. He pulled me out the back door and tried to get me into his car, the same one he’d been following me in for months. You’re right. There are men playing two sides, and Rocco is one of them.”
“I knew it. That son of a bitch. Are you okay?”
“I was shaken up, but unharmed. I was able to get away. Last I saw him, he was in the alleyway behind the club.”
He nods as he takes in the details. “Have you told anyone?”
I smile at the fact that he doesn’t question me on the facts. He just believes me. “I tried to tell Mom, but she didn’t want to hear it. Especially since Rocco was found dead the next day.”
“Your mom would never believe that. Not about Rocco. She liked him too much. I did too, but it doesn’t surprise me. Now, listen carefully. You keep this to yourself for now. If you trust anyone, trust Enzo.” There’s a loud grunt from his throat as he shifts his torso. He curses, and a tear rolls down his eye.
“You need to rest,” I tell him as I help him settle back into a comfortable position. “Are you ready for Mom and Gia to come in? You know Mom won’t care what the nurse says. She’ll be back here in seconds.”
“I don’t know if there’s enough morphine in this hospital for me to handle those two.”
I laugh and then kiss him on the forehead. “I’ll be back to talk more. There are many things we need to discuss.”
He grabs my hand again. “I love you, Amelia. And remember, trust Enzo. He’s good.”
“I will. I love you too, Daddy.” I don’t hesitate even though I’m still angry and we haven’t spoken about the crimes I know he’s being investigated for. Regardless, he’s my father.
We say our good-byes, and I head back toward the waiting room. As we walk down the hallway, I realize I never asked my father who did this to him, why, or where he’d been. I have so many questions for him, but they’ll have to wait until we’re alone again.
With Mom and Gia busy at Dad’s side, I slip out of the hospital and walk four blocks to the building where Jesse said we should meet. I look at the street signs to confirm I’m in the right place.
It’s a busy area with shops and buildings all around. People are leaving work for the day, rushing to catch the train or bus, many walking to their cars.
I walk into the café where he told me to wait and take a seat by the window, so I can have a clear vantage point of the corner. A woman asks if I’d like anything. I order a decaf cappuccino to go because it’s rude to use an establishment without purchasing something.
My main distraction is to scroll through my phone, but I’m afraid I’ll miss him if he passes by. So, I stay on alert.
The cappuccino arrives, and I thank the waitress. The warmth of the liquid soothes me. Maybe if I sit in this little café for eternity, all